Police release CCTV of gang of boys wanted over homophobic assault in Liverpool city centre
Homophobic attack
PICTURES released by Merseyside police show some of the young gang police are looking for in connection with a vicious homophobic attack in Liverpool city centre.
The boys – thought to be aged around 12 to 14 – were part of a six-strong group which attacked a 19-year-old gay man on the evening of Wednesday November 18.
They left him covered in blood and needing surgery on a broken nose.
The victim, a Liverpool community college student, was walking up Lord Street towards James Street station shortly before 7pm when he passed the gang of youths outside Tesco.
The group followed him up the street and, when he reached the Pret A Manger sandwich bar, they attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head.
They shouted homophobic insults at him during the assault.
The victim suffered cuts and bruises to his head and a broken nose.
Speaking to the ECHO last week, he said: "I was bombarded with punches. I did not know where they were coming from. They were shouting, ‘what the **** are you wearing?!’
"I cannot even get on the train without suffering abuse. It is everywhere I go. I wear colourful stuff and lipstick, but if I didn’t, it would be restricting how I want to be."
Detective Sergeant Cheryl Rhodes, from the Liverpool North Sigma unit, said: "This was a nasty, unprovoked attack on an innocent man by a gang of young lads who decided to pick on someone because they were dressed differently.
"Homophobic abuse was hurled at him by some while others threw punches at his head, knocking him over.
"We are determined to catch those responsible.
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